


Brave

by Lafaiette



Category: Deadpool (Comics), Spider-Man - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Friends to Lovers, M/M, School, mentions of fire
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-10
Updated: 2014-05-10
Packaged: 2018-01-24 06:02:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1594250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lafaiette/pseuds/Lafaiette
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Days passed fast, filled by tests, Wade’s jokes written on small pieces of paper, their meetings after the lessons, food lovely made by old hands. </p><p>Peter and Wade are night class students trying to get a degree and a better life. They will help each other, in different ways.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Brave

It was hard being a night class student.

Morning: underpaid job with an insufferable boss and coworkers that never listened.

Night: classes to get a piece of paper that could make his and his Aunt’s life better. Maybe. Still, he _wanted_ that piece of paper, he had promised on his Uncle’s deathbed that he would get one. He loved studying and learning new things, anyway, so he didn’t mind doing it.

He was the youngest in his classroom. The others were older students that, just like him, couldn’t attend courses during the day, but many of them were rough people looking for a chance of leaving the city, of learning better a secondary language and going away. Some were there just for fun, to spend the time doing something useful, not really putting their hearts into it.

There were many strange people - apparently it was all nighttime’s fault, just like it happened on social websites - and Peter sat next to the weirdest one, a bald guy with his entire face (and probably body) covered by scars.

He was loud, crude, didn’t pay much attention, preferring to crack some jokes or sleep on the desk. The teacher, mister Logan, didn’t care; his grumpiness and the smoke of his cigars must have filled every fiber of his being, because he stopped talking only when he was interrupted and that didn’t happen often. If someone wasn’t paying attention, it wasn’t his problem, unless they were disturbing the lesson.

The scarred guy didn’t seem exactly _normal_ , but he wasn’t crazy and knew better than interrupt Mister Beard, as he called the hairy teacher. His jokes were murmured, his pranks were made only during the interval, he muffled his laughs behind a hand covered by bad bumps and red swollen lines. Only when mister Logan left the class to smoke a cigar or eat, his booming voice could be heard in the whole classroom.

He joked only with Peter, as there was nobody sitting at his other side. Peter suspected that he would have joked only with him anyway; the guy seemed to like him, even if he wasn’t really sure why.

His name was Wade, he discovered soon enough. He wanted to find a good job, but he had never received a full, proper education and thought it was about time he did.

"And why are you here, baby boy?" he asked Peter one night, during the short interval. They had stayed in class and Peter was eating a hot dog his Aunt had made for him.

"I want to _leave_ my job.” Peter explained, ignoring the nickname, hoping his ears weren’t much red. “My boss is the most horrible man I’ve ever met in my life and the pay isn’t very good.” He showed a little smile, fighting the shyness ingrained within him since he was little. “And I promised by Uncle I’d get a degree.”

"At least you _have_ a job!” Wade whined, dropping his face on the desk. “I need this goddamn piece of paper to get one. With it, people will look behind my fucking face and give me _money_.”

Peter bit his lips, not wanting to ask things that weren’t his business. Aunt May had always insisted about this, especially when he had started becoming very curious of the world around him.

However Wade slightly moved his head from the desk and gave him a look, as if to say “well, you don’t want to ask me anything?” and Peter blurted it out before he could think twice about it.

"What happened?"

"Dad." Wade answered in less than a second. "We never got along, never been best friends. Actually, he was an asshole and one day tried to set me on fire."

"He… he _what?_ ”

"Fire! _Foosh!_ " Wade raised from the desk and made a wide gesture with his hands to mimic a flame. "As you can see, he didn’t manage to kill me, but I didn’t manage to get him arrested, so I ran away and never looked back. I don’t know what happened to him." He shrugged, returning Peter’s dumbstruck face with a lopsided smile. "I don’t care. I just want a job and some money to eat and have a roof above my head."

Peter tried to come up with something, but he was so shocked and felt so sorry for that weird classmate that he could just shook his head and babble a ‘I’m so sorry’. Wade barked a laugh and tell him not to worry.

"I’m fine. I am glad to have left that shithole. Now I only need to get this degree and earn money to keep living in the shithole I’m currently staying at." A grin split his marred face. "It’s a good shithole, though! The smell of mold isn’t even that strong!"

Peter giggled, knowing that feel. He and his Aunt lived in Queens and their apartment wasn’t exactly a good place. It was home and Peter loved it immensely, because it was full of good, bittersweet memories. But he could understand Wade, he totally could. He dreamed of a room without drafts freezing his body at night, of better lights to give relief to his Aunt’s tired eyes, of more space.

"You don’t pay much attention, though." he said, without malice, his smile a bit amused. "You know we have a test soon, right? Are you ready for it?"

"Mister Beard is _so_ boring!” Wade groaned flopping onto his desk again. “I like writing and he admitted I have a good imagination too, but…” he huffed, playing idly with a pencil. “I don’t like math. We won’t ever use all those formulas! Why even l learn them?!”

"You can’t say that. And it’s not about using the formulas, it’s about shaping your mind to think in a certain way." Peter patted his shoulder and Wade jumped a bit at the contact. "Want me to give you a hand?"

"Huh…" the scarred boy scratched his chin, looking quite surprised. "That would be cool, I know you are a nerd, always getting A+ on your essays and shit, but…" a blush spread over his cheeks. "I can’t do nothing in return. I’m only good at Literature and you are even better than me."

Wade was a little bit strange, but Peter liked him. He was funny and didn’t mock him or glare at him like the others did when he gave the right answers to mister Logan. And their situations - their poverty - were similar and he wanted to help him get that degree, get a better life. His Uncle had taught him that helping people was important and giving Wade a hand wouldn’t cost him anything.

So he smiled and said: “Don’t worry about that. We could remain at school after the classes for a bit and see what most bothers you with math.”

"Everything." Wade chuckled and his smile changed, becoming grateful and bigger. "Thanks, then. I appreciate it, Petey."

They began the next night. They asked mister Logan for his permission to stay in class for more minutes and he just shrugged, took his bag, and left them alone muttering: “Just don’t break anythin’. Especially you, Wilson.”

"Do not fear, prof, we will be angels!"

Aunt May was thrilled by the idea of Peter finally having a friend and put in his bag more food to share with Wade. Days passed fast, filled by tests, Wade’s jokes written on small pieces of paper, their meetings after the lessons, food lovely made by old hands.

Rumors about them started spreading really fast, but they ignored them, focusing on Wade’s problems with math and the conversations they had when they took a break. They didn’t care about the others, they were friends now and that was what mattered.

Peter talked about his Uncle, his job at the Daily Bugle, his childhood. Wade didn’t mention the latter, he had said enough about it, but his whole life had been an adventure and he narrated stories of danger and discoveries with so much passion and enthusiasm, Peter couldn’t help but listen to him with wide eyes and an awed smile.

Soon Wade’s grades started to get better and, at the same time, things started to change in the city. Apparently there was a _monster_ that lured his victims into dark alleyways, sometimes pretending to be asking for help, sometimes simply making strange noises. The police was still looking for it, with no many good results.

"Be careful, Petey." Wade told the younger boy one night, as they were finally leaving to go home. The night sky was clear, with no clouds in sight, the air crisp and chilly. "I don’t want to read about you on the newspaper tomorrow."

"You should be careful too!" Peter replied. They lived in different neighbours and they always had to part ways after school. A pity, because Peter enjoyed Wade’s company a lot. He was actually a little sad, now that his math grades were starting to get decent, but Wade had assured him with a comical face that he still need _a lot_ of help.

"I am strong and I know how to fight." the scarred boy glanced at him, concern written all over his features. "… You are scrawny."

"Hey!" Peter playfully kicked his leg. "I… I know how to defend myself, okay?"

"Are you going to tell that monster how to find the angle of a triangle?" Wade jumped before the other boy could hit him with his back bag, giggling maniacally. "Oh, you could bore him to death with some historical facts! Or chemistry, man, that’s gonna kill it!"

"Shut up!" Peter laughed and pushed him; Wade pushed him too and they spent the next ten minutes playing like children.

When they saw how much they were panting, sweat running down their back and face, they stopped and, still laughing, waved at each other and went their own ways.

Peter’s home wasn’t very far from school, but the streetlights casted a dim light and there were no people in the streets. He sped up, thinking about Wade, his cheerful voice, his smile, try not to imagine the monster and the way it killed his victims.

Then he heard them. Footsteps. Just behind him.

He stopped and peeked above his shoulder. There was nobody and he didn’t hear anything anymore; when he resumed walking, though, the footsteps were audible again and he panicked.

_'Don't look back. Don't worry, it's nothing, maybe just an echo. Don't look back, don't look back…'_

Oh, he missed Wade so much! He surely would have said something funny and witty to reassure him, would have taken his hand, he did that a lot and Peter loved it… the scars felt odd under his touch, but they didn’t bother him, and he liked making Wade feel normal. He usually didn’t let anyone touch him, but he always made an exception with Peter and he loved that.

_'I will call him once at home… Yes, I will do that…'_

He ran for the last meters, heart beating fast, palms sweating; the footsteps stopped as soon as he entered his apartment building and he never looked back.

His Aunt was already sleeping and had left a sweet note for him on the kitchen table; Peter read it, smiled, feeling already better, then glanced at the clock on the wall.

It was late and Wade was probably snoring on his bed right now; his apartment wasn’t far from school either.

With a sigh, Peter went to his room, put on his jammies, and flopped onto the bed, falling asleep almost immediately.

He dreamed of monsters without shape chasing him in the darkness and of a hero in bright clothes saving him with two shiny blades.  
  
  
  
\- - -  
  
  


“Are you _sure?_ ”

Peter nodded, hidden behind a book not to be seen by mister Logan, who was explaining in his usual, grumbling, low voice the lesson of the day.

Wade raised several notebooks in front of his face, lowered his back, and whispered: “Dude, that’s creepy! Do you want me to walk you home later?”

“You would have to go all the way back and I don’t want that.” Peter looked up to be sure mister Logan was still talking, then: “Maybe I should bring something with me… Like a knife or something.” He knew it was the best idea, but he wasn’t a violent type, he couldn’t even kill spiders when he found one in his room… Even Wade eyed him weirdly, shaking his head.

“Nah, Petey, you are not like that. And I don’t think a knife could do much against that thing. Did you read the newspaper this morning? The witnesses say that monster is fucking huge!” His scarred face became sad and he talked slowly, as if he didn’t want to say what he was about to say.

“Maybe we should stop staying at school after the lessons… at least until that thing is captured or killed.”

Peter tried to hide the stinging disappointed. He had thought about that, too, but he had discarded the idea as soon as it had entered his mind. He enjoyed spending time with Wade like that, it was the thing he most looked forward to.

“There… there is no need to do that!” he whispered back, too louder for mister Logan’s sensitive ears.

“Oi! Parker, Wilson! Shut your traps!”

Some classmates snickered and looked at them with malicious smiles. Flash Thompson, one of the guys that most enjoyed spreading rumors about them, hissed with a hint of disgust: “Faggots.”

“Shut up, Thompson!” Wade growled. “Why don’t you think about your daddy issues instead of annoying us and being a bitch?”

“As if you don’t have any! At least my father didn’t try to kill me!” Thompson glared at Peter, who shrunk back into his seat. “And spending your time with that twink won’t make you less of a freak.”

“What if he _is_ the monster?” another guy, Daken, intervened. He was mister Logan’s son, but his father did his best to ignore him and Daken did his best to fail every single class and test to piss him off. “With that disgusting face, I’m sure a lot of people would mistake him for a beast.”

“Stop it!” Peter exclaimed, fists closed, fire in his eyes. “Don’t say anything like that ever again!”

“Or what?” Daken grinned mischievously. “Will you start crying because we offended your boyfriend, Parker? How do you even blow him, by the way? At least I hope you close your eyes and…”

“You asshole!”

Wade sprung up and was ready to get into a bad fight, when mister Logan finally stepped in.

“Enough!”

He grabbed his son by the collar of his shirt and dragged him outside, motioning Thompson to follow him.

“You think you are tough stuff, bub? Out, both of you. Out! And don’t come back until the end of the class!”

“Let me go, you piece of…!”

Mister Logan closed the door, cutting his son off, then picked the book he had dropped, and resumed the lesson as if nothing had happened.

Wade slowly sat up again and didn’t meet Peter’s eyes, playing with the pencils on his desk and drawing comics on his notebook.

Later, when the classes ended and it was time to start their lesson together, Wade waited in silence as Peter pushed their desks together and sat next to him.

“Are you okay?” he asked softly and Wade nodded, not lifting his eyes from the scribbled notebooks he had filled during the night.

“Don’t… don’t listen to those bullies. You know they are just a bunch of… of…” Peter bit his lips, looking for a word that wasn’t a bad word. His Aunt had taught him that swearing wasn’t good and he tried not to do it. It was difficult, this time, he _really_ wanted to vent and say all the things he thought about those two rude… rude…

“Assholes.” he blurt out in the end and Wade looked at him in surprise. Peter blushed and fidgeted under his gaze. “Huh, sorry. But it’s true! They are… uh, that.”

His face lit up when a fit of giggles escaped Wade’s mouth; the scarred boy tried to stifle them, but after a few seconds he was already laughing out loud, together with Peter.

“It’s okay, Petey. I’m used to it.” His face softened, his smile became melancholic. “You know, I think I won’t be able to get a job even with a degree. My face is just too fucked up.”

“Don’t say that.” Peter took his hand and squeezed it gently. “I’m sure you will find something. Someone will give you a chance.” He blushed. “I would do it.”

Wade laughed softly, then patted his hand.

“Thanks, Petey. Don’t be so sad, now! Let’s do our stupid homework and forget about those dickheads, okay?”

And so they did. Peter thought there was something different in the room, that night, but didn’t worry too much about it. Only when they got up and went outside the school to finally go home, it occurred to him that something had changed for real.

“Okay, so… are you sure you don’t want me to take you home?”

“I’m sure.” Peter smiled. “Be careful. Don’t be reckless.”

“I am _not_ reckless! I am brave!” They laughed, then Wade went closer to him and looked suddenly awkward, almost shy.

“Be careful you too.” he pressed his chapped lips on Peter’s cheek, making him gasp in surprise, then ran away. Peter had seen him before he turned away, though, and smiled, because Wade was blushing like hell.

He felt giddy with joy during the trip back home. He kept touching the spot where Wade’s lips had touched his skin, a huge smile on his face, cheeks and ears red.

He had completely forgotten the monster when the footsteps reminded him of it.

He froze and his heartbeat became erratic, this time not because of joy and love, but because of fear and panic.

“What do I do…?” Peter whispered, already walking faster. “What would Wade do?”

He would probably fight, a small voice inside his head told him. Wade was strong and _brave_ and…

The footsteps were louder and nearer, now, and Peter started running; there was no a single soul in the streets, but he needed to find someone, a policeman, a guard, anyone! The police had been pretty clear about it and the mayor himself had ordered to inform immediately about any suspicious activity.

Right then Peter felt something touch his shoulder - a _hand?_ \- and he screamed, hitting whoever was behind him with his backpack and scrambling into an alley; he knew where it lead and it wasn’t very dark, so he felt safe.

He felt like that even more when he saw the figure of a man near the corner; Peter rushed to him, relief flowing through his veins.

“Mister! Mister…!”

He let out another scream when he saw who he was really talking to.

A dark _creature_ , looking vaguely human in the shadows of the alley, was glaring down at him, its white eyes piercing through him like blades.

Peter stumbled back, then fell on the ground, whimpering and quivering. The monster approached and he swore he heard logical words among his growls and hisses. _That_ was the last straw and Peter fainted, his last thoughts being about Wade.

For a few seconds, he regained a trace of consciousness and saw someone hitting the beast with a huge metal bar, but the fear was overwhelming and his eyes closed on their own accord.  
  
  


\- - -

  
  
He woke up on a hospital bed, his Aunt sniffing and crying besides him.

“Peter!”

The old woman hugged him, tightly but gently, and babbled words of endearment, asked him how he was feeling, if he wanted water or food.

“I… I am fine, Aunt.” Peter smiled up at her, then a shadow of worry fell on his face. “What happened? Why am I here?”

“Oh, dear, you got attacked by that… that _thing_.” Aunt May sniffed again, wiping off tears from her eyes. “Two policemen on patrol found you.”

“And the monster?”

“They found its blood. It’s been hurt badly.” the lady smiled brightly and clasped her hands together. “Oh, Peter, it was a miracle! Someone saved you and fought the monster! God sent an angel to protect you!”

So it wasn’t a dream! Peter sat up, wishing to ask more about this mysterious person, and just then they heard a knock and the door opened slightly.

“May I, ma’am?”

“Oh! Oh, yes, of course.”

A policeman entered the room; he was a tall, blond man with a blinding and kind smile. He looked very professional and Peter felt a bit intimidated.

“Good evening.” the policeman greeted him, even bowing his head a little. “I’m Officer Rogers. I was one of the men who found you.” He raised his eyebrows. “How do you feel, son?”

“F-Fine. Thank you.”

“That’s good.”

Officer Rogers stepped aside and motioned someone to enter. Peter’s eyes widened when he saw who it was.

“Wade!”

The scarred boy was fidgeting, his head covered by the hoodie, and he tried not to look at Aunt May, who was observing him with much curiosity and sympathy.

“So _he_ is Wade!” she murmured.

“This is the courageous boy who saved your nephew tonight.” Officer Rogers explained with a proud smile. “He fought the monster and hurt it bad. It’s bleeding a lot and we already found traces of its blood around the city. We will follow the trail and hopefully find it.”

“That’s marvelous!” Aunt May ran over to Wade and, without thinking about it twice, hugged him, making him tense up and pale under the scars. “Oh, thank you! Thank you so much for saving my Peter!”

“It’s… it’s okay.”

Aunt May pulled him away and took his head in her hands; Wade was blushing, now, his eyes casted down.

“He always talk about you, you know?” she laughed softly. “You have been so brave. You must love him a lot.”

“H-He’s my friend.” Wade was literally melting, now, and he shuffled his feet on the white tiles of the room.  “I tried to warn him, but he got scared and…”

“So you were the one following me!” Peter gawked at him. “Those footsteps and… and the hand…”

“I wanted to be sure you were safe. I… I didn’t mean to scare you, but apparently I was louder than I thought.” Wade huffed to hide his embarrassment. “I didn’t want you to know I followed you, but you looked so frightened today, so I patted your shoulder, but…”

“I jumped out of my skin.” Peter giggled, then gave him a sweet smile. “Thank you, Wade.”

“Huh…” the scarred boy hadn’t raised his eyes for the whole conversation. “N-No problem.”

“We could use men like you.” Officer Rogers intervened. “Have your ever thought about joining the police department, boy?”

Wade stared at him, completely dumbstruck.

“M-Me?” he babbled. “I don’t think people would want someone like _me_ to protect the city.”

“I don’t know what happened to you, son, but those scars are certainly a sign of courage and strength.” Officer Rogers smiled. “Think about it, okay? We will gladly accept the request of someone brave and selfless like you.”

Before Wade could even open his mouth, the policeman bowed his head again and asked Aunt May: “Miss, could you please come with me to take care of a few last things?”

“Yes, of course.”

The old lady kissed her nephew’s forehead and squeezed Wade’s shoulder before going, closing softly the door behind.

Peter beckoned the scarred boy and once he was sitting on the edge of the bed, he took his hand, like he had done so many times before.

“You should accept. It’s a golden opportunity and it would solve all your problems.”

“I need that degree first. Even if I helped hurting that beast, they still can’t hire me without a piece of paper that say I can at least count to ten.” Wade blushed when Peter’s fingers played with his. “And I’m still not sure people would love having a freak like me in the police.”

"You are not a freak." Peter’s hold on his marred hand became tighter. "You are a hero who risked his life to save another." He was smiling, his eyes twinkling with joy. ““I will help you get that degree. We will graduate together, okay? And you could come to my place after our lessons, so you wouldn’t have to go all the way back to your apartment.”

“That… that would be cool. What about your Aunt, though?”

“She already likes you a lot, didn’t you see?” Peter pulled him closer and smirked when he heard him gulp and saw his cheeks become red under the bumps and scars. “We could sleep in my bed, it’s big enough.”

Wade looked ready to have a heartattack, so Peter giggled and tried to calm him with a kiss. Maybe it wasn’t an effective way to calm someone who was already blushing like hell, but it worked somehow.

Wade’s lips were chapped and rough, but Peter liked immensely the feeling, and Wade must have liked it too, because he moaned and opened his mouth to kiss him better.

When they pulled apart, panting and with drool on their chin, the scarred boy whistled softly.

“Dude…”

“Yeah.” Peter giggled again and rested his head on his shoulder. “Thank you again, Wade.”

Wade nuzzled the top of his head and wrapped his arms around him. And for the first time in their lives, they both felt safe.


End file.
